Southern CA Saltwater

Overnighters conking croaker

BY MERIT McCREA/WON Staff WriterPublished: Jul 11, 2017

San Diego long ranger Intrepid makes the run, scores too!

BILL CAVANAUGH AND Steve Lassley with a Channel Islands croaker aboard the long ranger Intrepid.

OXNARD — As predicted, weekend weather at the western Channel Islands laid down just in time for some big Saturday seabass scores. And, hurricane Eugene is poised to make this whole week a banner one, pushing the season’s persistent westerlies way off the beach and north. As for the rest of the zone and along the south side of the 4-island chain, it was beautiful all week.

CISCO’s Mike Thompson reported, “There has only been enough wind to keep you cool as you fish.” He continued, “We are seeing a lot of barracuda and calico Bass in our counts as of late, with of course, the yellowtail and white seabass headlining the show.”

Outer Island and overnight trips continued to catch the most white seabass, but the inner island local trips caught some as well. According to Thompson, the weekday trips ran much lighter loads and did much better on the game fish, with much less other boat traffic on the water those days.

On the local front, the Speed Twin twilight scored nearly 70 sand bass one evening. The day prior that boat had 61 barracuda and 171 ocean whitefish.

GOOD MORNING Channel Islands, aboard the Cobra.

Better outer island scores included Mirage’s 40 seabass for 24 anglers Saturday. Sea Biscuit had 33 more for their 24.

Amigo carried 16 anglers to limits on outer island croaker, 48 seabass Sunday! Saturday the Pacific Dawn was on the board with 37 for 15, and limits for 20 on Friday – 60 seabass. Amigo had 44 that day, making their lingcod limits Wednesday seem pretty weak, especially with the Pacific Dawn hitting the dock with 37 seabass that same afternoon.

Landing Manager Ed Guyette reported: “The local boats... have been limiting on the rockfish. With the surface bite heating up, both the Island Spirit and the Pacific Eagle have been getting the yellowtail and barracuda to succumb to the iron and the bait.”

The bite continues to be consistent as long as the weather plays nice. The surface bite can only get better as the water heats up, offered Guyette.

A 10-POUND LOG for Kalie Wray, aboard the Aloha Spirit.

PACIFIC DAWN’S WON whopper of the week, a 38-pound slug, by Kyle Lauren.

IRON MAN WADE Wells with a seabass on the plug, boat Amigo.

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